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Heterogeneity Mapping of Protein Expression in Tumors using Quantitative Immunofluorescence
Published on: October 25, 2011
Why Tumor Genetic Heterogeneity May Require Rethinking Cancer Genesis and Treatment
Bruce Gottlieb1, Mark Trifiro2, Gerald Batist3
1Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Segal Cancer Center, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
Tumor genetic heterogeneity, in which individual tumors contain both multiple variant cancer-associated and normal genes, has been widely reported, although its significance has yet to be fully understood. We propose a genetic heterogeneity-based selection-centric hypothesis in which genetic heterogeneity, caused by the temporary reduction of DNA repair efficiency, occurs very early in human development, resulting in a small minority of cells in normal tissues acquiring cancer-associated genes that remain dormant. Cancer develops when precancer cells are selected for by altered tissue microenvironments; similar scenarios occur with development of metastases and therapeutic resistance in established cancer. This suggests that a normal cell selection treatment approach based on preferentially selecting normal cells within tumors may be effective in treating cancer.
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